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Ex-Ben Sulayem deputy chief provides more detail on resignation bombshell
Former FIA deputy president of sport Robert Reid has shed more light on his recent resignation – explaining how he could not work “within a system that no longer reflected the standards” he believed it should uphold
Former FIA deputy president of sport Robert Reid has shed more light on his recent resignation – explaining how he could not work “within a system that no longer reflected the standards” he believed it should uphold.
Reid announced on the eve of the Bahrain Grand Prix that he was stepping away from his role after growing frustrations about the way the FIA was being run under president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
While he had tried his hardest to focus on the positives of what he could do within the FIA, in the end he felt he could not carry on with certain principles of governance being ignored.
Of growing concern to him too was that when he did criticise things that he did not like, he found himself getting isolated – which included having his work email shut down.
Writing on Substack, Reid said: “I spoke up when I felt fundamental principles were being eroded. I did so respectfully, constructively, and always with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of our sport. But doing so came at a cost.
“It became clear that raising legitimate concerns was not always welcomed and I experienced firsthand how challenging the status quo can lead to exclusion rather than dialogue. I don’t regret speaking up. But I do believe I was treated unfairly for doing so.
“Leadership matters. Governance matters. And trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild. If motorsport is to remain credible and thrive into the future, it must be governed not by control, but by collaboration. Not by silence, but by accountability.”
The final straw for Reid regarding his position at the FIA was the governing body's move to take over running of the World Rallycross Championship – which could trigger potential legal complications. Reid goes into more detail on this in his post.
However, matters were already getting critical after he was barred from attending a World Motor Sport Council meeting earlier in the year because he did not sign a new Non-Disclosure Agreement that had been put in front of him.
It was this matter which triggered the alleged move by the FIA to close his email.
Speaking about the NDA situation, Reid said: “I fully support the need for confidentiality and have personally been deeply frustrated at the number of leaks that undermine trust and effective governance.
“One journalist said to me that perhaps the FIA should be more concerned with why people are leaking than who is doing it and I think that’s worth reflecting on.
“I did not refuse to sign the NDA amendment. I simply requested a short extension in order to seek legal advice on a complex document governed by Swiss law, which was presented with a relatively short deadline. That request was denied.
“As a result, I was excluded from the World Motor Sport Council meeting, in my view, both unfairly and unlawfully.
“10 days later, my FIA email was disabled without notice. Multiple requests for assistance and explanation went unanswered until, following a legal letter from my counsel, I was informed this had been a deliberate decision.
"I want to be clear: I remain bound by confidentiality obligations and will continue to respect those legal responsibilities. I will not disclose information received in confidence or obtained in my official capacity.”
Reid revealed that he has received many messages of support from within the FIA for his decision to step down, but many of those have asked for their backing to be kept secret.
He added: “It is interesting, but not wholly surprising, that many of those messages of support came with the caveat of not being willing to say anything publicly for fear of retaliation, which highlights some of the issues we face.
“I would never ask anyone to put themselves in what they feel is an uncomfortable position, be it through a letter of support or a social post showing clear endorsement, as I don’t feel that it would be fair to do so. From other quarters the silence has been deafening.”
In response to Reid's resignation and his concerns about the decision to take World Rallycross promotion in-house, an FIA Spokesperson said: "The FIA is grateful for Robert Reid's contribution to the FIA, and to motorsport more widely.
"The FIA has exceptionally robust corporate governance policies which guide our operations and ensure our rules, practices and processes are adhered to.
"The FIA World Rallycross Championship is a hugely popular sport. In recent years, World and European Rallycross events have been watched by a growing audience of over 30 million viewers spanning over 100 countries.
"The FIA has directly invested into the championship for the benefit of fans, teams, and FIA member clubs. This investment is in line with the FIA's commitment to double participation in motorsport globally."
